February #1 - Berlinale calling
Get ready for Berlin's finest film festival! Let me guide you through 2024's program.
Dear all,
February will be a cinematic month, for obvious reasons. It’s the month of Berlinale and in my calendar this A-level film festival taking place in Berlin is overshadowing everything else. That’s why this issue will focus primarily on film and cinema. The second issue of February will outbalance and will contain some upcoming political event as well. Stay tuned!
In this issue:
🎥 Films and events at Berlinale, to look forward to
🎭 Lecture on history of Ukrainian theater
🖼️ Art by Belarusian artists in exile
🥟 Restaurant Tip
So, let’s dive right in!
FILM & CINEMA
74. Berlinale - a film festival for all of us
Berlinale, one of Europe's most prestigious and renowned film festivals, is set to unfold in just a couple of days (15th to 25th of February). What sets Berlinale apart is its inclusivity, allowing film enthusiasts from all walks of life to attend screenings, a feature that distinguishes it from exclusive festivals like the Cannes Film Festival. Among the highlights are three Ukrainian films, to look forward to. You can find the full program here.
The Editorial Office
Young biologist Jura lives with his mother and witnesses an arson while searching for marmots in the Kherson steppe. While trying to solve the injustice, he gets caught up in an absurd network.
Extra tip: Pilecki-Institut will host an exhibition connected to the film. Learn more about this on their website.
A Bit of a Stranger
Svitlana, a Russian-speaking Ukrainian, examines the colonized part of her consciousness and tries to find answers to the question of how Soviet totalitarianism and Russification influenced relationships within her family.
Intercepted
By mirroring sound and image, Intercepted shows the devastation caused by the war against Ukraine. Intercepted telephone conversations between Russian soldiers and their families form a shocking parallel world. Stunned, image and sound are juxtaposed.
📍multiple cinemas and locations
💵 ticket prices go from 5 to 20€ (ticket details)
🗣️ multiple with English and German subtitles
As the festival not only caters to film lovers but also provides a platform for industry professionals, there are - among others - two noteworthy events that shouldn't be missed if you are interested to deepen your knowledge of the filmmaking process.
Discussion: Collecting Voices: Ukrainian Cinema Confronting the Unspeakable
Oksana Karpovych and Roman Bondarchuk, documentary filmmakers, collaborate with Daria Badior, co-curator of Kyiv Critics' Week, to contemplate their political and aesthetic methodologies in capturing the voices of individuals during times of war. As creatives, they also discuss how they preserve their own voices in the process Ono 17th of February, 17:00. Find details here.
📍HAU2 / Kreuzberg
💵 ticket prices go from 5 to 20€
🗣️ English
Project Pitches hosted by Belarusian Independent Film Academy
Established in 2022 by a group of Belarusian filmmakers in exile, BIFA is a non-profit organization aimed at providing a platform for independent filmmakers and promoting Belarusian cinema. On Friday, February 16, at 18:00, a project presentation will take place at the European Film Market, featuring eight projects including feature films, documentaries, and animations by Belarusian filmmakers in exile. Please note, that registration is necessary; find out more on BIFA’s website.
📍Gropius Park / Mitte
💵 free of charge
🗣️ English
Please note, that GREEN BORDER (dir. Agnieszka Holland), a highly political production, is still running in Berlin’s cinemas (and other cities, as well) during the whole month of February. You can find more on this in the last issue of this newsletter.
THEATRE
This time, this section does not feature a play but a possibilty to learn about the history of theatre. On 13th of February at 18:00 Liliia Marenets (Director of the State Archive of the Kirovohrad Region) and Tetiana Honcharova (Head of the Department of Information and Use of Documents of the Kirovohrad Region) will share their knowledge on the history of Ukrainian theatre, diving into questions such as:
Where is Kropyvnytskyi and why does hardly anyone in Germany know?
Why was the city named after the theater director?
Is the theater a place where one pretends to be someone else or a laboratory where national identity is formed?
Can you find stories that were forgotten in the Soviet era in the state archives of the Kirovohrad region?
📍Pilecki-Institut / Mitte
💵 free of charge
🗣️ Ukrainian + German translation
EXHIBITIONS & ART
sometimes i hold onto the air - Belarusian artists in exile
The exhibition sometimes i hold onto the air explores the topic of exile through the lens of young Belarusian artists. It reflects on the transformative protests of 2020 in their homeland, addressing repression, constant surveillance fears, and the bureaucratic challenges faced abroad. Titled after a poem by Belarusian poet Volha Hapayeva, living in exile in Germany, the exhibition captures the universal struggle of artists in exile. The exhibition is being showcased until 29th of May. Find out more via Goethe-Institut.
📍Galerie im Körnerpark / Neukölln
💵 free of charge
🗣️ English, German
RESTAURANT TIP:
You've probably heard of Markthalle 9 and Street Food Thursday. But did you know, that there's a stall there with delicious Ukrainian specialties, known for their authenticity? Maybe that would be just the thing for your next Thursday in Kreuzberg!
📍Markthalle 9 / Kreuzberg
💵 5-10€
🍴varying menu
Thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next issue coming in the next, including:
🎥 more Berlinale content
Cafe Kyiv by Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung
Discussion on political situation in Poland
✨ and much more :)
If you want to share your event tip with our readers, let me know! Feel free to reach out with submissions, questions or feedback anytime via juliaschneider@substack.com.
Lots of love,
From Julia’s Desk
Do you have any tips on how to get tickets for Berlinale's normal cinemas? :)